To Be an Alpha
by Kireina-Ame
Summary: Rin is bad at flirting. Or, more specifically, he's good at flirting but doesn't realize he's doing it. (Omegaverse)


**To Be an Alpha**

 **Author's Note:** I thought I'd try my hand at an Omega-universe one-shot because I always find them incredibly interesting to read. Plus it's something else to express my love for the _Free!_ fandom. Of course, I'm gonna throw my own weird spin on it so I hope it's not too confusing for anyone. Also, I thought I'd challenge myself and actually place this in the canon setting!

And I actually really enjoyed this soooo... I will likely create other future one-shots in this same universe. If you have feelings/opinions on 'what' the other characters should be (omega, beta, or alpha), I'm open to suggestion. Otherwise, enjoy! (More drabbles for all my fandoms that I don't post here can be found on my tumblr.)

* * *

Rin was feeling guilty. After Sousuke revealed his injury and confessed his plans to give up competitive swimming, his best friend assumed there were no more secrets between them. He was wrong. And Rin didn't even know why he was holding back. It wasn't that he thought their friendship would end because of it. And he knew Sousuke wouldn't be angry or anything. And honestly, there was no shame in being… an Omega.

So why did he continue to hide his heat-suppressant pills? And why did he avoid any conversations about gender or future mates like they were the Black Plague?

Biting his lip, Rin shoved the pill bottle back behind his Chemistry textbook on the desk. It was just in time before the door to their room opened up, revealing the man that he had just been feeling guilty about.

"Rin, even if you already handed the captaincy over to Nitori it'd be bad form to be late to practice." Sousuke leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his large chest in a stance that would have been intimidating if not for the gentle look in his eyes.

With a subtle cough he glanced away and tried to appear as if he hadn't been distracted. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Standing up from his desk, he thought that he hopefully hadn't given away that he was hiding something there.

Before he could reach over to his duffel, containing his towel, change of clothes, and all of his swimming accessories, a larger hand swooped in and picked it up. With agitated confusion he raised an eyebrow at his roommate when he saw it slung over his uninjured shoulder.

"I can carry my own bag, you know. You're the one with the injury."

Sousuke didn't even grace him with a verbal response. He simply shrugged subtly and then smirked before turning on his heel to lead them to the pool.

Ok, that's why he was feeling guilty. Sousuke seemed to be acting rather strange the past few weeks. Maybe months. His friend had always been generous and supportive to him, despite his gruff exterior that he presented to strangers. But his niceness had increased exponentially lately and it was weirding Rin out. Did his best friend know he was keeping a secret? Was he trying to guilt him into confessing it?

And really, why _hadn't_ he yet? The longer he put it off, the bigger deal he was making about it. The only theory Rin had about himself and his reluctance to confess his secret was that he was terrified of suddenly being inferior, not being good enough in Sousuke's eyes. You see, all children were born equal, no label assigned at birth. It wasn't until puberty that anyone would know for sure which gender a child was, if Beta or Omega. And, of course, a small percentage of Betas would eventually reveal to be Alphas. And as children, he and his best friend always told each other that they would both grow up to be Alphas. That they would be the strongest and most amazing Alpha team the world had ever seen, together.

But he started to experience puberty when abroad in Australia and he realized almost immediately. He would never be an Alpha… because he was an Omega. By the time he moved back home, he had begun taking the pills to suppress his first heat. It wasn't unusual to take them, of course, considering he was an athlete and college-bound. As many Omegas did who felt they weren't yet ready to deal with heat cycles, the biological urge to mate, and the toll it could take on your body, the pills were easily accessible by request to your doctor. He couldn't afford the distractions, or the time in self-imposed quarantine during heat, with his heart and soul set on going pro and aiming for the Olympics.

But he had been taking them in _secret_. And only his family knew. So that's why he felt so incredibly guilty about it.

"I know I promised Ai that I would help him transition to the new position as captain until graduation, but I don't mean to take your free time from you, Sousuke. You know you don't have to join me."

Sousuke's teal eyes flicked over to him and he saw an easy smile spread over his mouth that made it hard to look away. This was the person he wanted to be good enough for and it hurt. "Nah, it's good for me. I may not be able to push myself to a competitive level right now but the water is good for rehabilitation."

Rin chewed on his lip for a brief moment before breaking eye contact and looking ahead. "I better not see you do anything strenuous or I will forcefully pull you out of the pool myself."

With a deep and amused chuckle Sousuke answered, "Sure thing, Captain."

"Stop it."

* * *

"If you study any harder, I think you'll start to billow smoke from your ears."

Rin's head whipped up from his desk, which lay covered in notes and excerpts from his literature class. Even though his entrance exams to his chosen university were already completed – and accepted – he still had to ace his final exams to ensure his grade point average stayed strong.

"Ha ha." Rin couldn't help but respond sarcastically to his best friend for the quip, thankfully he did manage to bite his tongue to keep himself from irrationally snapping at him. Though he knew that somehow Sousuke always saw right through his moodiness and it wouldn't have been taken personally.

"I'll just feel less stressed out after the Literature exam, that's all." He ran his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time and let it fall in disarray, a bad habit he had when stressed, and leaned back in his chair. "But maybe it's time for a break anyway."

"Good. Here." Sousuke unceremoniously dropped a small grocery bag onto his desk, right on top of his notebooks.

"What in the… What is this?"

"Open it, Sherlock."

He opened the bag from the nearby convenience store with surprise. Inside was a lukewarm sealed dish of spicy beef and vegetables with a side of rice. Sousuke brought him food? Rin couldn't hold back the slight pink tint on his cheeks even if he tried. He couldn't help but wonder if his friend would still be bringing him food if he knew Rin was an Omega. After all, this could be construed as 'courting' behavior. (What made it more dangerous was that Sousuke actually knew his favorite dishes too.) He told himself that Sousuke was just being overly considerate – again – and smiled up at his ridiculously tall friend who hovered next to him as if waiting for his reaction.

"You went all the way to the conbini just to buy me food?"

"I knew you'd lock yourself in the room for the rest of the day studying so _someone_ has to make sure you eat." Sousuke had a way of answering a question without answering the question. "If you don't want it now, I can put it in the fridge…"

"No! No… I'll eat it." Rin grinned and pulled it out of the bag, removing the disposable chopsticks from the top of the container.

First, any food placed in the communal kitchen was fair game to everyone and Rin knew he'd never see it again. Second, Rin was actually feeling hungry now that he had the savory smell sitting right in front of him. Third… Sousuke went all the way to the convenience store and bought it for him especially. So it would just be rude not to enjoy it, right? Somehow that last thought really cheered him up, his stress over exams suddenly a lot less critical.

With a mumbled _itadakimasu_ , he dug into the food.

"Could be warmer, ya know." Rin playfully teased as he swallowed his first bite. He turned in his chair to face Sousuke who sat himself on Rin's lower bunk like he owned it. "I'm guessing you had trouble finding your way back?"

"Shut up. You should just be grateful that I'm feeding you." The dark-haired teen pestered right back at him with a smile, his arms leaning on his knees as his body tilted toward Rin. "I'm not sure how you survived without someone reminding you to take care of yourself with how stressed you get during exam time. You're lucky I'm here to do that."

Something about this conversation was starting to feel weird to Rin. Not in a bad way. In a weird, _I-don't-know-what-is-happening_ way. But his face felt warm again so he shoved another piece of thinly sliced beef into his mouth as a distraction.

"I've always managed…" Swallowing his bite, his eyes swept back over to the other's. He could have sworn that somehow Sousuke's smile widened even more, his marine-colored eyes almost glowing in amusement. Rin couldn't let him win this weird conversation game, whatever it was! "But as long as you're going to be bringing me food, I won't complain." Rin grinned at his own retort.

"Deal." His best friend sure wasn't smiling like he lost whatever game they just played. In fact, he looked almost devious with victory.

Rin told himself he still didn't understand what was going on. But with his Sousuke smiling at him like that all he wanted to do was smile back. But the strange warm feeling in his chest reminded him of the secret he had yet to confess.

* * *

Rin wished he could say things were normal for the rest of exam week. And it wouldn't have been much of a lie either. It's not like anything _really_ changed. But his conversations with Sousuke continued to feel weird, like he was in new territory. And he still hadn't been able to come clean about his secret either. But with only three days left in the dorms before moving back home, he was running out of time.

Throwing another book into the cardboard box, Rin gave up packing and opted for a quick break. He was becoming too distracted to pay attention to what he was throwing where.

Suddenly he let out a loud yelp and felt his body spring up from the floor, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Throwing his hand to the back of his neck where he could still feel the ice-cold condensation, he whipped around to glare daggers at his roommate.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Here, got you a drink." Sousuke responded, completely ignoring his friend's aggravation and angry huffing.

Rin grabbed the cold can with a dramatic huff, mumbling under his breath. "You'd think I'd hear you sneak up better with how big you are." Hearing his friend chuckle at the comment, he popped open the drink and took a sip. He hadn't realized how thirsty he has until then with how good the carbonated beverage tasted after all that cleaning. By this time it was no longer surprising every time Sousuke showed up with a drink, food, or to help him in some way. Still weird, but welcomed and comfortable now. It left a pleasant warmth in his chest and he found himself hoping Sousuke wouldn't tire of spoiling him any time soon.

Abruptly time slowed down for Rin. His fiery eyes blinked as he lowered the soda and his face felt like it was aflame with the blush that radiated from his skin. Oh god, he was feeling _courted_. It didn't matter if that's what Sousuke had intended or not, as an unattached Omega he still felt _pursued_. And he had been _ACCEPTING_ it!

Through his sudden coughing fit, he felt Sousuke's hand gently pat his back, his larger friend's frame pressed close to his side. With him so close, Rin had difficulties ignoring just how damn _good_ Sousuke smelled… And that pissed him off more.

"Don't drink it all at once, Rin."

"T-that's not-! I'm fine!" Finally settling down, he walked over to his desk (which thankfully put some distance between him and his friend) to place the still-full can down and turned a sharp eye to his roommate. "But what's up with you lately? Why have you been acting weird?"

"Weird? What do you mean?" And Sousuke honestly looked confused and surprised at his outburst.

"What do I mean?! This!" Rin pointed angrily at the soda. "You've been strangely really generous lately, bringing me food, helping the swim team, my exams." In fact, now that he was listing it out loud, it felt like Sousuke had been constantly going out of his way for Rin for weeks now. "I can tell something is going on but I just don't know what! You better not be hiding another injury!"

"What? Of course I'm not." Sousuke at least had the decency to look affronted at that accusation. But now that Rin was letting all of his frustration out, there was no slowing him down. His best friend patiently stood still, letting Rin maintain the couple distance from him as he yelled.

"Then WHAT is happening? It's like you're courting me and it's freaking me out!"

The larger teenager blinked at him with wide, surprised eyes for a moment in a way that Rin felt was supposed to communicate something to him. But he was too worked up to process any meaning clearly. "Well?"

"I am."

"…What the hell are you talking about, Sousuke?"

"I _am_ courting you. I just didn't say it directly because I figured it might embarrass you."

Rin felt like the world just opened up and swallowed him. Maybe like in video games. Because things suddenly stopped making sense and that was NOT what he expected the answer to be. "What?! Y-you've been… All of that… _on purpose_?!"

"Rin, I honestly thought you picked up on it weeks ago when I took you out to lunch and paid for your meal. You know, at that barbeque restaurant?" Sousuke didn't crowd him as he could probably tell that his red-haired friend was moments away from a stroke. Instead he lowered himself to sit down on the bed. Rin's bed. Looking awfully calm for someone that all but confessed to their best friend.

"That was… a _date_? …Oh my god that was MONTHS ago! So you've known that I'm an Omega the whole time?!" Pacing in the small space between boxes near the desk, all the while avoiding eye contact, he felt the familiar guilt stir in his chest to join the weird, nervous sensation in his stomach. It was a good thing Rin hadn't eaten recently.

"Well, I didn't know for sure, but I guess I do now."

"WHAT?!" Rin was going to die. His death certificate would read 'death by embarrassment.' And his fucker of a best friend dared to smile his stupid, attractive smile causing all sorts of funny feelings to flip and swirl inside him. Stupid Sousuke.

"Rin, we've known each other since we were five years old."

"Are you telling me you knew back then?!"

"No! I'm saying I didn't care."

"Wait… what?" His body felt frozen, stiff. And his mouth was hanging slightly open as he tried to absorb what he was being told. Maybe this is what death felt like.

Sousuke's teal-colored eyes narrowed with intensity as they focused on Rin, rather like food. Or prey. Rin felt his toes curl in his shoes at the way the other man was looking at him and he refused to think about why at the moment. "I didn't care if we both ended up as Alphas – or both as Omegas or whatever the case might be. I _always_ planned on courting you."

"…What?" Rin was dying and was reduced to a one-word vocabulary it seemed. It felt like everything was rushing past him and he was struggling to keep up to know where he was. He no longer understood what was happening, if what he was hearing was actually happening.

"I've loved you since we were kids. And when I finally got the nerve to see you again and transfer to Samezuka… I knew I would do anything to have a chance with you. I would court you in any way you'd be willing to accept."

"…What?" he whispered in a barely audible voice, the only thing he was able to get out of his mouth by this time considering the short-circuiting his brain was doing.

Despite his best friend being the conversational equivalent to a child's wind-up toy, Sousuke grinned and rubbed the back of his neck with one of his large hands. He looked simultaneously shy and exhilarated. And for some reason Rin both loved it and wanted to make him stop in the same heartbeat. "And you've accepted so far. Though I'm wondering if I should feel as pleased as I do considering you didn't even realize you were being courted. You probably didn't even realize that you turned down the food other members of the swim team offered. But… you always took mine."

"…I did…?" Rin mumbled just to himself in disbelief and awe.

"And we're certainly going to have a discussion about you not wanting to confide in me your status as an Omega later… But honestly, I figured that out pretty quickly too."

"How?" It was a soft question, Rin still feeling very much overwhelmed.

"I live with you. In a very small room. In very close quarters. When you didn't smell like a lot of the other guys, like an obvious Beta or Alpha, and how you never seemed too interested or comfortable talking about pursuing Omegas, it wasn't difficult."

"…How long?"

"Maybe within the first month of being back, I knew."

"Dammit… Sousuke…" Rin rubbed his face in his hands before sliding them up through his hair. "I'm sorry I never told you. I just didn't know how. I thought it would… change something…"

"Well, it would have been convenient to have that conversation. Maybe you would have recognized my obvious attempts at courting."

"Not that! I was worried that… Well, we always talked as kids about… you know."

"I know. And I told you, I don't care. If you had talked to me sooner, you wouldn't have had to worry about it." Sousuke smiled that sinful smile once again, leaning his head on one of his hands which was propped up on his knee as he sat so casually on Rin's bunk.

He thought he would suddenly look at his friend differently, knowing he was actively courting Rin. But somehow it didn't feel that weird. Well, not a _bad_ weird. Definitely an interesting and new and _good_ weird. "How do you manage to provoke me while simultaneously trying to make me feel better?"

"Talent?"

"I'm going to kick you."

"Come over here and try."

And suddenly he recognized their conversations for what they were. They were _FLIRTING_. Sousuke had been _flirting_ with him. And without even thinking about it, Rin would always flirt _back_! He suddenly felt like he was seeing all this for the first time and his face turned red. Even if he had been ignorant about a lot of things, he was subconsciously still accepting the offers from Sousuke, accepted him as a suitor, and would openly flirt with him.

This was ACTUALLY happening!

Suddenly, walking over to kick his stupidly grinning friend didn't seem like a safe, platonic thing to do. He had to decide if he wanted that. If he wanted Sousuke. If he was ready for that. And even then, that would just open up a whole new set of questions and worries about their future.

"Too much for you?" Sousuke asked gently, still with a teasing tilt to his smile. Rin knew the double meaning. His friend would back off if he wanted him to. He was waiting.

Without allowing himself to become frozen in indecision, Rin grinned sharply back at him like he did in all of their competitions, which contrasted in interesting ways with the faint blush on his cheeks. He quickly strode over to Sousuke, lifted his leg just enough to push his knee into the other man's thigh.

"Maybe I'll let you off easy this time. Being injured and all." Rin suddenly wasn't sure why he had been hesitating to begin with. Part of him already accepted Sousuke right? And he was stupidly attractive, he admitted. And he certainly couldn't see himself being as close to anyone else like he was with Sousuke. And he'd never want to replace what he was to him.

"How kind of you." The dark-haired man smiled with obvious joy and relief that Rin hadn't fled. Sousuke likely figured out that Rin was willing to give this – them – a shot too, if his best friend knew him like he think he did. "But maybe I won't let _you_ off the hook."

"Wha-? Hey!" The next thing Rin knew, he was laying on his back on top of the bed, the taller of the two of them having gently pinned him down. And he was surround by Sousuke, his arms on either side of his head, his penetrating eyes above him, his body nearly pressed against Rin's down to his legs. And he could smell so much of him. And it was damn unjust how amazing Sousuke smelled, deep and soothing, familiar yet exciting.

"You're an Alpha?" Rin whispered back, feeling like this intense, intimate moment between could be easily shattered.

"Hm, maybe. I've been told that it'll probably show within the next year or two. If not sooner." Sousuke whispered right back to him, watching carefully for a reaction.

If he did start to display as an Alpha, his smell would get sharper, his body stronger, his commands would lace with power that others around him would be able to feel like an electrical current, and his urges would change. Alphas were natural born leaders. And Sousuke, his Sousuke, was probably one of them.

"Oh."

"Oh?" the man above him asked, pushing for a more detailed verbal response to gauge Rin's thoughts.

Rin licked his lips and blurted out the first thing that came to mind, to hell with it. "That's sexy."

Ok, that surprised him almost as much as it surprised Sousuke. But at least they were now equally blushing at each other, smiling stupidly.

"Can I kiss you?" Sousuke asked with a quick glance at his friend's lips.

"Yes, please, because I'll just keep saying stupid things otherwise."

And the answering grin would have made Rin too weak in the knees to stand if he hadn't already been laying down. Really, he should have seen this coming. Sousuke and him, him and Sousuke.

All of his thoughts stopped when his best friend (suitor? boyfriend? lover?) leaned down enough to slide his lips over Rin's. Slightly thin, but soft and warm against his sensitive mouth. When Rin realized he let out a soft, embarrassing gasp at the wonderful feeling of their lips touching, he decided this wasn't happening fast enough. Grabbing the back of Sousuke's head, his fingers carefully threaded through dark, soft hair, he pulled him down harder. Their chests flush against each other, legs tangled, and mouths sealed tight.

Sousuke let out a low, appreciative hum at the move, which in turn sent a thrilling shiver down Rin's spine. And then their mouths opened to each other, tongues meeting for the first time. Rin had to grip tightly onto Sousuke's arm at the feeling of being caressed and licked inside his mouth. The intrusive tongue exploring without hesitation, rubbing against his teeth, the roof of his mouth, and all around his tongue. When it retreated enough for Sousuke to change the angle of his head, Rin reciprocated with nibbles and gentle tugs on Sousuke's lower lip with his teeth, giving it an apologetic but teasing lick after. Sousuke merely growled in playful arousal and took over the smaller man's mouth once more.

It was only a few moments later that Sousuke surprising pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavier than normal and leaving Rin's mouth slightly agape with his lips glistening.

"You taste like cola," teased the dark-haired man as he stared happily down at Rin.

"Shut up." Rin smiled and bit his lip. He couldn't think of any proper comeback to that after such an explosive, deep kiss that he never thought his first could be.

"Make me." And they both grinned as Rin reached up to Sousuke's face once again and did exactly that.


End file.
